Spark
by Tinsley Warren
Summary: Edward Cullen is reaching his breaking point with Hollywood. He's tired of being a pawn in the studio's games. Thankfully, meeting a cute server at a party may change all that. An entry to the Dior Rob Contest


**Dior Rob Contest**

**Title: Spark**

**Summary: Edward Cullen is reaching his breaking point with Hollywood. He's tired of being a pawn in the studios games. Thankfully, meeting a cute server at a party may change all that.**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella**

**Rating: M**

**Prompt used:#41, #46, #10, & #4**

**Word count: 7,619**

**Thank you so much to my awesome beta ****_Kitchmill_**** who helped me so much with this! Thank you to the Dior Rob Contest! It was such fun! Go check out the other entries and go congratulate the winners!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. The plot is mine and it is made up.**

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The ballroom housed at least a hundred people, all dressed to the nines in the best designer brands available. I had on my uncomfortable tux and refused to know who made it. That way when people asked, I wouldn't sound like a tool answering them.

Everyone was all about labels.

No one cared about the person behind the mask they've created. They just cared about the label.

It was something that was becoming really disheartening to me. I had been in the Hollywood business a very long time. I knew how things worked. I knew the magical illusion of it all. I knew that things were not always what they seemed.

But I was getting sick and tired of being a pawn in their games. The studio, the media, everyone was using me as a pawn.

My job was to be an actor, not to have my life drawn out for me just so the studio could benefit from it. I couldn't remember the number of times I was thrown into the headlines and attached to one of my costars for the benefit of my movie. It was all about making money. It was never about me. It was never about what I wanted or what was good for me. It was what would be good for the studio or the movie.

I was done. I wanted out.

I was sick of the stalking the paparazzi did. I couldn't leave my house without some creep with a long lens shooting at me. It was frustrating.

I was tired of not knowing who the hell I was. I couldn't keep the real Edward Cullen and the fake one straight.

Hell, my name wasn't even Edward Cullen! It was Edward Masen.

I needed something. Maybe some sort of spark that would lead me in the right direction. I've always heard, the best things start with a spark. Sadly, I had lost my spark a while ago with all the craziness surrounding me. That's the price of fame I guess.

I threw back my scotch as I scanned the room. There were a number of beautiful people around, their hair done the right way and smiles plastered on their faces. They didn't look real though. Everyone looked like they were created to fill the mold that Hollywood put them in; tall, skinny, blonde, fake boobs, dimples, and the right amount of muscle.

It was maddening.

I tried not to laugh at the ridiculous stories the rags would come up with if they were here. According to them, I've slept with half these people and dated the other half. I could just see the headlines now, _Exes Fight over Cullen's Affection_.

Lies.

All of it was lies.

The only person I've been sleeping with was my dog, Jake.

Having sex with anyone in Hollywood was like signing yourself up for a visit to the doctor. Everyone slept around. I didn't want in on that at all.

I glanced up and met the eye of my costar, Tanya Denali. She and I had been in one of the biggest blockbuster hits of the past three years. We seemed to be riding the high of being Hollywood royalty. Everyone wanted a piece of us.

The studio thought it would be a great idea if Tanya and I were seen as an item. So for the past three years I had been dating Tanya. Well, to the media's eyes. In real life, Tanya was as straight as a limp noodle. We did have a lot of on screen chemistry, but I had a feeling she was picturing her assistant, Kate, not me when we had each of our kissing scenes.

But we went along with the role the studio wanted us to play. It helped her get to where she wanted with her career, which was becoming a household name. And it allowed me to be able to pick and choose the films I actually cared about. It wasn't that I didn't like the big Hollywood movies. I would forever be grateful for taking the role of Rodger in _The Modern Saga_. But I wanted to make movies that really made an impact on the audience, and I didn't mean the drooling all my shirtless scenes caused in _Modern_.

Being that well known meant that my life was forever being watched. I went out about a month ago to let off a little steam. My costars suggested this new club and, against my better judgment, I went. There was a girl there who was completely starstruck by me, and it was hard to say no. We ended up dancing that night and making out, with some wandering hands, in the corner of the VIP section. I didn't go home with her, but the damage was done. Someone had snapped a photo of it, and by the morning I was seen as a two-timing asshole.

Ever since then, Tanya's team and mine had been working on damage control. They were trying to make us look as stable as possible. Knowing that Tanya was here meant that this event was going to be used to give us some good publicity.

That's what I get for making out with a random valley girl.

My agent, Emmett McCarty slid next to me at the bar and threw me a smile. He knew I detested these events, but he also knew I needed this.

"Well, Ed, looks like you just have to be here another thirty minutes and then you can head out." Emmett's loud voice and dimpled smile made him likable, even when he was telling me something I didn't want to hear.

"I thought I could leave in five." I tried to mask my irritation. I didn't want to come off as difficult in front of all of Hollywood's elite. I shot last year's Oscar winner a smile as he walked by, hoping he couldn't tell I was getting frustrated.

Emmett shifted from side to side before he gave me a look. "Man, I know. This sucks. But it's Esme Carlisle's birthday, and the studio thinks it will look good if we get some camera shots of you and Tanya. Plus, if we got one of you and Esme maybe that will help hype up that protest movie you want to do. There've been talks that she may be attached to it."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. He was right. Staying and playing it up so someone could "accidentally" take a camera shot of Tanya and me would help a lot. Not to mention what a picture of Esme and I together would do for the backing of my sixties movie.

"Fine." I gritted my teeth and shoved the empty glass at Emmett. "Take the pictures fast. I want to get out of here."

Emmett laughed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Put a smile on that pretty face. People are always watching."

I spent thirty minutes dancing with Tanya and Esme. We goofed off and it looked like we were having the time of our lives. I kissed Tanya a couple times, and I knew Emmett had gotten some great shots.

After my performance, I went to the bar to get another drink when I nearly walked into a small blonde-haired woman. She was looking down as she tried to walk through the crowded room, a serving dish in her hands.

"I'm so sorry," she said frantically as she tried to get out of my way. With the food on the tray and her sudden movement, I knew it was going to fall. I leaned over her and grabbed the tray before all the mini sandwiches fell to the floor.

"It's my fault. I should be looking where I'm going." I smiled down at her and watched as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"I'm just so clumsy. Really, it's not your fault. But thank you for saving the food." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at me.

"It was my pleasure." I gave her back the tray and she went to leave. Something about her dark brown eyes made me stop her.

"What's your name?" I asked as I touched her arm.

"Bella," she stammered as she turned back around to face me. Her voice was soft and low. So soothing. She didn't seem anything like the plastic forms dancing in the ballroom. She seemed real. Her skin was so pale, nothing like the orange hue of everyone here, and she had the cutest dusting of freckles gracing her nose.

"Bella," I said, testing out the way her name sounded on my tongue. It suited her. She really was beautiful. Not the fake beauty that filled the room, but real natural beauty. "You're beautiful."

Her eyes hardened in what appeared to be disbelief. "Does that line work?" Her question hung in the air, waiting for my name.

"Oh, I'm Edward, Edward Cullen...and it's not a line." I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. "You really are beautiful. Your eyes seem so inviting. I've never met someone with such honest eyes."

She looked down and smiled. It seemed like she wasn't used to compliments.

"Thank you. That's very nice of you to say." A strand of blonde hair fell from her bun, and without thinking, I placed it behind her ear.

"Why don't you thank me with a drink?" I asked. I normally didn't do this. The last girl I slept with was from my hometown, and that was because we had both gotten so drunk it just sort of happened. The last one I kissed was a mistake, but something about Bella made me want to ignore my last bad experience. I should be safe. No one in here was going to out the fact that I was having a drink with a cocktail waitress.

But, I didn't know how to woo a girl like Bella. I didn't know what to say to her. I just knew I wanted to know her. She didn't seem like every other girl. She was just different. I couldn't put my finger on it.

I could feel it.

She shook her head and looked around the room, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. "I really can't. I'm working."

"When do you get off?" I asked, surprising myself with my persistence.

"I'm lucky. I only have an hour before I'm done. I was the opening shift and another group of people come in to close up the party. Who knows when it will end." She smiled at me and I laughed. It seemed like this wasn't her first Hollywood party. It was common knowledge that the Hollywood elite liked to let loose. We didn't care if the sun was coming up. As long as the alcohol was being served, we kept going.

"Looks like I'm the lucky one. I get to spend some time with you." She gave me a smile before something caught her eye over my shoulder.

"I won't be able to if I don't get back to work." She went to leave and again I stopped her. I glanced over my shoulder and saw an annoyed looking man. He must have been her boss.

"Meet me at the bar when you're done, okay?"

"Will do, Edward." She left with a nod of her head and went back to work.

I took a seat at the bar and watched as she weaved her way in and out of the crowd. People didn't seem to pay much attention to Bella, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her. She would glance up every once in a while, catch me staring, and give me a small smile.

There was something about her that was drawing me in. I wasn't one to jump into things, but I wanted to try and get to know her. From the looks of her server uniform, I could tell she had a nice figure. She didn't look unproportioned like the actresses surrounding her, and I couldn't wait to feel how soft she was in my hands.

I ordered another scotch and kept my eyes on Bella. I didn't realize Emmett was still around until he sat next to me.

"What're you still doing here?" he asked as he signaled the bartender for another beer.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Does it have anything to do with the girl your eyes have been glued to?" I looked at him and glared. He just laughed in my face.

"Shut up, Emmett."

"Why so tense? You're getting laid, man." He slapped me on the back but I shrugged it off.

"Emmett, I really want to get to know this girl. Not everything is about sex." He went to say something, but I stopped him. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Did you send out the pictures?"

He went into work mode, and I knew I had distracted him well. "Yeah, I sent them to a couple people. Three went to _Us Weekly_ and then a couple went to some random people we hired. They'll be all over Instagram and Facebook in ten minutes."

"I can't believe that stuff works." I shook my head and sighed. It sucked when we had no control over it. Like what happened at the club with the random chick. Or sometimes when I'm just getting lunch and everyone tweets out my location. It helped that I had people working for me whose only job is to check those sites. So when I've been discovered we alter the plans for the day. I can't remember the number of times I had to leave a gym workout early so it looked like Tanya was meeting me for lunch and not just grabbing a bite to meet with her girlfriend.

That was when things became hectic and overwhelming. Those were the days when I felt like I didn't have any control over my life anymore.

But when we manipulated the system ourselves, it felt like I had the power back, if only for that one brief period of time.

Tanya came over to give me a kiss on the cheek and let me know she was going home. I gave her a friendly hug and watched as she left. Kate was trailing behind her, and it made me happy to know she was going to have a good night. I may not have been attracted to Tanya, but she was still one of my best friends and I wanted the best for her.

As soon as Tanya left, Bella popped up. I lost track of her when Emmett started talking to me so I was surprised to see her out of her uniform. She had on a tight white shirt that showed off her white bra. I tried not to stare, but knowing what she had on underneath her shirt was making me hard.

She gave me a small smile as she stood in front of me.

She was gorgeous, especially with her hair down. She must have added some eyeliner or something because her eyes seemed to pop. They were gorgeous and looked like melted chocolate.

I must have been staring at her in awe because Emmett shoved his hand in front of her face and smiled. "Emmett McCarty, I'm Edward's agent."

She took his hand and tentatively shook it. I would be nervous to shake Emmett's hand too if I was just meeting him. The guy looked like he belonged on the football field with his muscular build, not in a suit at some celebrity party.

"I'm Bella Swan. I worked the party." She released his hand and stared at me. I gave her a smile as I slid off my stool and offered her a seat.

"Hello again, Bella," I whispered in her ear, watching as her cheeks flushed.

"Hello, Edward."

"Can I get you a drink?" I asked.

Her eyes scanned mine and then Emmett's before she responded.

"I'm okay right now, thank you."

Emmett laughed and held his hands up. "I can see I'm crushing your vibe or whatever. I'll be on my way. It was a pleasure meeting you, Bella. Hopefully I'll see you again soon."

She gave me a smile and then looked at Emmett. "I hope so too."

I tried not to let her words fill me with hope, but it was no use. She didn't say it in a snarky way like she wanted to sink her claws into my flesh. She said it with such seriousness. Maybe coming to this party was going to be worth it after all.

I finished my scotch as she leaned closer to me. My body felt warm, and I knew it wasn't just from the alcohol.

"Emmett's kind of scary." Her voice was quiet as she confessed her feelings about him. I laughed and shook my head.

"He's a teddy bear. Don't believe first impressions. He's a really good guy." I hoped she understood that what I said had double meaning. There was no way she didn't know who I was, and I understood that. It was what came with the job. But I wanted her to see me for me, not for the guy the media made me out to be.

"Do you want to dance?" I asked, and her eyes looked shocked.

"Nah," she said with a laugh, shaking her head. "I'm clumsy. Plus I'm not really dressed for that. Everyone looks so beautiful and put together."

"You don't need a ball gown to look beautiful. You in those jeans is just perfect." I gave her a smirk, and she swatted my arm.

"You're a flirt. But seriously, I would stick out like a sore thumb." She bit her lip and looked up at me under her lashes. I tried to think of my grandmother naked so I wouldn't get hard again.

I pulled her off the stool and led her to the dance floor. She looked surprised when I pulled her against me and started swaying to the music.

"I hate to tell you this, Bella, but you already stick out. It's hard not to with your beauty."

Her nose scrunched up as she laughed at my honest comment. But as long as she stayed in my arms, I would take her laughing at me. I was determined for her to see the truth behind my words.

People stared. Of course they would.

But I didn't care. I swung Bella around the dance floor until she begged me for a rest. Her cheeks were flushed and a smile was plastered on her beautiful face. Losing her warmth against me made me crave her near. Now that I'd had her in my arms, I didn't want her anywhere else.

"Can I have a water, please?" she asked the bartender, and I was surprised she wasn't drinking. She must have noticed my confusion. "I don't want to have my boss see me drinking at work. It's unprofessional, even if I'm off the clock."

I nodded my head. She was smart too. Normally girls wouldn't think of that. Especially if they were on my arm. They would try to push the limits, especially with top shelf alcohol being so available. But not Bella, she seemed to have her head on straight.

"Don't let me stop you," she said, motioning to the bartender as he waited for my order. But I shook my head.

She sipped her water and bounced her foot to the music the band was playing. I smiled at how cute she looked.

"What's that smile for? Do I have something in my teeth or something?" she asked, covering her mouth.

"No, you're just cute."

Her cheeks turned that familiar pink color. "Whoa, Edward, full of compliments tonight."

"Only for you," I said as I caressed her cheek. I felt the strong urge to touch her.

She moved off the stool and took my hand in hers. "Let's go outside. It's too hot in here."

I let her lead me to the coat check where we grabbed our coats and headed out into the cold Los Angeles night. It wasn't snowing, but it was still pretty cold for Los Angeles. But that was to be expected in January.

She leaned against the brick building and smiled at me.

"What's your favorite color?" I blurted out. Her eyes stayed neutral as she thought about her answer.

"Green," she whispered into the blowing wind.

"Green?"

"Yes, green. Like the color of your eyes." She looked away and I held back a smile.

"Mine's brown. I bet you can guess why."

She looked up at me, and there was my favorite color. "An eye for an eye, huh?"

"I guess." I laughed.

I stared at her, and she didn't move under my piercing gaze. I wanted her. She was sweet and fun, and her curves were begging to be touched.

"You look at me like you're hungry."

"I am," I said, moving closer to her. She backed up so she was against the bricks, and I put my hand by her head, caging her in. Her brown eyes lit up in excitement.

"For what?" Her eyes were locked on my mouth and I watched as her tongue slipped out and wet her lips.

I felt myself twitch.

"You," I said. I buried my face in her neck. She smelled like strawberries. I kissed my way up to her ear, realizing she tasted just as good as she smelled. I could hear her breathing get heavier and decided to take a chance. I pressed my hardness against her leg.

She let out a gasp as I took her head in my hands. "Just you, my beautiful Bella."

My restraint snapped, and I pressed my lips to hers. There was a surge of warmth that spread through my whole body. She clutched onto my coat as her tongue slid against my mouth. I instantly opened, and she groaned as her tongue explored my mouth.

I put my hands in her hair and she pulled back, her breathing heavy.

"Let's go to my place." Her teeth were back to digging into her lip as she looked up at me.

I barely had time to nod before she grabbed my hand and pulled me with her. We were only walking about a block before she dragged me into an apartment building. There was no front desk or doorman, a big change from what I was used to. But I liked it. She was real. And she wasn't ashamed to show me how different our worlds were.

She punched the button for the elevator and practically bounced on her toes.

"You excited for something?" I smirked.

She looked at my face and then at my crotch. My dick twitched in my pants, and it was her turn to throw me a knowing smirk.

"I'm not the only one."

The elevator dinged and she pulled me in, jabbing the door close button before she hit the number six.

"I want you," she said as she leaned against the wall.

"Oh, you have me," I said as I stalked toward her.

I heard her breath hitch as my mouth hungrily found hers. My hand went to her neck, and she grabbed for the back of my hair. I moaned in her mouth, and she played with the little hairs there as my mouth commanded hers. I knew she was enjoying it as I felt her pulse quicken under my fingertips.

The elevator kept moving toward its destination as the car filled with the sounds of our heavy breathing and Bella's soft moans. I didn't want to stop. I could feel my body's reaction to her and I was painfully hard. I needed her to touch me. I needed to feel her soft skin against my hard cock.

I needed her.

The ding notifying us that we had gotten to her floor pulled us back into reality. But it didn't stop us from having a sensual stare down. I took in her panting chest and her flushed cheeks. I knew she could see the hunger in my eyes.

"Lead the way." My voice sounded gravelly, and her eyes lit up in excitement.

She pulled me by my arm and led me to her apartment. Her hands were shaking with anticipation, and it took her two tries before she got the key in the lock.

Bella's fingers grabbed onto my jacket as she directed me inside. The apartment wasn't what I was used to. It was very small, but seemed to fit her. The whole apartment was one room, and it looked very bohemian with her long drapes, the huge area rug in the center of the apartment and the mattress with its white sheets by the window.

I was taking in the space and realized how pretentious my house would have looked if we had gone there instead.

My eyes were scanning over the big mattress and I didn't realize what she was doing behind me until I heard the sound of her jacket dropping to the wooden floor. I went to look, but found her walking in front of me to the lamp by her bed. The light flickered on, and it made the room glow. That was when I fully took in what she had done.

She was standing in front of the light, it illuminating her perfect figure as I took in the sight of her naked legs, innocent cotton underwear and her pebbled nipples through her white wife beater.

"You still want me to lead?" she asked as she twirled a strand of her blonde hair around her finger.

My cock twitched in my pants. He was up for the challenge.

"I think I got it." My voice was deeper than usual as I shrugged off my jacket and started to go for the buttons on my shirt.

Her eyes were glued to my every movement, and it was such a turn on. When my hands went for my belt buckle her eyes widened. I held back a chuckle. It looked like she was about to hit the jackpot, and in my opinion she was.

My pants hit the floor, and I heard her gasp.

I wasn't even out of my boxers yet. What a way to raise my self esteem.

"Come here," I growled. She followed my command without hesitation. I grabbed her hand and pulled her against me, our lips finding each other's. She groaned when my tongue stroked hers.

"You have too many clothes on." I breathed heavily as my finger skimmed the skin above her underwear. She looked over her shoulder and shivered.

"Do something about it." Her fingers traced the top of my boxers and I grabbed her hand.

"No teasing." She winked at me, and I hooked my fingers in her underwear, lowering my body as I pulled them down. I looked up at Bella as she put her hands on my shoulders and slowly stepped out of them.

My eyes were level with where I wanted to be, and I felt my mouth fill with saliva. I wanted a taste.

"You smell amazing." I skimmed her thigh with my nose, leaving light kisses in my wake. Her body was shaking when I finally reached her core. Chancing a glance, I saw her staring down at me with hooded eyes.

"I want a taste."

"Oh, God," Bella gasped.

"Oh, Edward," I corrected her as I gently pushed her back onto the mattress. Her hair fanned out, and she leaned up on her elbows, legs falling open for me. She wanted it.

I wasted no time. My tongue traced her slit, and Bella's hand dug into my hair, her soft moans filling the room. I groaned as I tasted her sweet arousal. Pressing my tongue to her sensitive nub seemed to set her off, but also had me holding back from seeking some friction for my impatient cock.

I continued my motions until Bella was thrashing around and I knew she was close. I had hoped she was or else I was going to have a bald spot with how hard she was pulling my hair. I tried not to chuckle and just embraced how good I was making her feel.

She pushed my head as close to her center as possible, so close I could barely breathe, and screamed out my name. Her arousal coated my tongue, and I made sure I got it all.

When Bella's hand released my hair, I pulled back and smiled. Her skin was flushed and she was trying to catch her breath.

"I guess I did a pretty good job of leading, huh?" She nodded her head with a smile.

"You're not done yet though. Looks like someone needs some attention," Bella said as she gestured to my crotch. "And maybe I should take this off."

Bella smiled as she peeled off her shirt. My hands seemed to be magnets, because as soon as her shirt hit the ground I was cupping her breasts. My thumbs brushed over her hardened nipples and she groaned.

"I need you." Her voice was hoarse and I saw the need she spoke about.

"Do you have any protection?" I asked, and she looked at me surprised.

"You don't have any?" I shook my head. She leaned over and grabbed one from a pile of stuff by her bed. The shiny package was smiling at me as I snatched it from her hand.

Bella watched me with anticipation as I pushed off my boxers and rolled the condom down my length. She pulled me down on top of her and locked her legs around my hips. I didn't have time to take in how she looked beneath me before she pushed her core against me. I held back a chuckle at her impatience and used a hand to line myself up with her center.

"You sure this is okay?" I asked before I went any farther. She nodded her head, leaving no argument that she was all for it.

Bella pushed herself up toward me and I slipped in, my hips flush against hers. We both groaned at the sensation of tightness. The looks we shared said the same thing, we were happy that we were getting what we had craved all evening.

"You feel so good," I panted, resting my head on her shoulder as I started with slow thrusts. "You're so warm. _Fuck._"

"Holy cow. I've never felt so full," she gasped, and I held back a smirk. I didn't even care if she was lying. It raised my confidence level, and that in turn caused my thrusts to pick up in pace.

Slow was good, but really going for it was beyond amazing. My balls were tightening from the pleasure, and I had to look away from her bouncing breasts so I didn't blow my load too quickly.

I had her gasping with each thrust, and from the look on her face, my pace was working well for both of us.

"Touch me." She panted as her nails dug into my back.

"As you wish." I snaked my hand between us and leaned back so I had better access to her clit. As soon as my finger made contact her body shuddered.

"Yes," she screamed as she clutched the white sheets, her eyes closed tight.

My fingers kept up their frantic circles, and the new angle made my hips race to the finish. She felt so good and warm. I knew she was close because I could feel my dick being squeezed by her inner walls. I never wanted it to end.

"Oh, Edward," she screamed, and it felt like my dick was being suffocated in her warmth. I couldn't take the pleasurable feeling. My whole body felt like a fire had been lit and I felt myself explode inside the condom.

I closed my eyes as I came down from the high of my orgasm.

"Fuck." I panted as I pulled out of her and fell back on the mattress. We both stared at the ceiling as our breathing calmed.

"Holy shit," she said. I looked over at her, and she had a smile on her face. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling with some unknown emotion.

"That's what you get when I lead." Bella swatted my arm and I smirked.

She cuddled into my chest, and I traced my finger down her arm. I wasn't surprised when my eyes started feeling heavy. I had really worn myself out. She traced circles on my chest, and it was so calming that I fell asleep.

The sunlight streamed through the window and seemed to center in on my eyelids. I was awoken by its annoying intensity. I rolled over and found the other side of the mattress cold. My eyes squinted open and I looked around, finding myself alone in Bella's apartment.

I sat up, confused, and heard my phone vibrating. My pants were skidding across the wooden floor and I grabbed them, finding my phone flashing Emmett's number.

"What?" I answered, annoyed and confused that I was alone.

"Edward." Emmett's voice rose in hysteria. "What did you do?"

"What?" I repeated.

"Have you been on the internet, checked your messages? Anything?"

I grabbed my boxers and started getting dressed. "No, I just woke up. I'm looking for Bella."

"Bella." Emmett laughed and I could tell it was fake. "Her name isn't Bella. Her name is Jane Volturi. She pretended to be some server named Bella Swan."

I froze.

My head was spinning and I felt my stomach drop. Something wasn't right.

"Check the computer. Yahoo news has it." Emmett sounded exhausted.

I scanned the room and saw a laptop open on the floor by the mattress. I clicked it and the screen turned on. I was greeted with a YouTube video. It was all ready to be played for me, almost like someone did it on purpose.

"Is it a video?" I asked, afraid he would say yes.

"Yes."

I clicked on the play button and was welcomed with the face of Bella, or Jane. She was standing in her apartment, the same one I was in, and it looked like she was getting ready to go to work.

"Hi, my name is Jane Volturi. I'm here to set the record straight. A month ago, Edward Cullen did something unforgivable." She said my name with disgust, and her words dripped with venom. Her face was scrunched in anger, and it wasn't helping the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"He cheated on the one and only Tanya Denali. He crushed her spirits and he hurt her. He hurt her more than anyone had ever hurt her before. He claimed he loved her, but instead he crushed her. Now it's my time to crush him."

I groaned as the video cut to shots of us dancing and me standing in the elevator with her.

"Tanya doesn't need you, Edward. You need to stop trying to make this work with her because her true fans know you're going to hurt her again. And we don't like it. You don't deserve someone like her. You're not good enough for Tanya.

"So I'm going undercover and posing as my old roommate, Bella Swan, and I'm going to show the world what a cheater Edward Cullen really is. He hasn't changed. He's a dirty manwhore who sleeps around. He hurt the one person we all care about the most, and now it's time one of us Denaliers does something about it."

The remainder of the video was a montage of the rest of the evening. There was video of the elevator, a photo of us kissing outside Esme's party, video of us dancing at the party, and even snippets of us having sex. Thankfully the camera wasn't the best quality for the sex part, but her moans filled in any question as to what had happened.

I shut the laptop and felt numb.

"She was a fan, Edward. A fucking fan." Emmett growled and I shook my head. I forgot I was still holding the phone. I looked around her apartment and realized she must have had cameras all over.

I had never felt so disgusted and disturbed by a fan before.

I had trusted her. She didn't seem to care who I was. In reality, she probably cared more than anyone ever did. And she wasn't just a fan, she was the opposite of it, and she had not just pulled me down but probably Tanya too.

"We have to do something."

"No." I shook my head and grabbed my clothes. "This is done. I don't want to play the media anymore. I don't want to do fake relationships. It only leads me to this. I never wanted this. I can't even tell if someone is being honest with me. I'm done."

"What? Do we have a bad connection? I think I heard you say that you were done." Emmett sounded distraught as I made my way to the door.

"I'm done. I don't wanna be a pawn anymore. I want to do what I want to do. I want to make the movies I want to watch, and I don't care if no one sees them because that means I don't have to act a certain way to get people to watch my movies. I'm done."

I looked back at the apartment where Jane tried to ruin me. But instead of wanting to go after her, I found myself smiling. It was a small smile, but still. In trying to bring me down, she may have set me free.

It wasn't going to be easy, but it was something I had been complaining about for a while. I could go a ton of different ways with this, but I knew this was my out. I could use this and do what was best for me. I could finally break away from everything that was holding me back. Deep down, it was what I knew I needed.

I shut the door and took the first steps into my new life.

It had been three months since Jane had made her video. My life had been flipped upside down. The press hadn't been good, and I had lost a lot of fans. But I refused to tell the world that my whole relationship with Tanya was purely for publicity just so they could see I wasn't some cheating asshole. Everything was fake anyway. If they wanted to label me something, how would that be different than what they were doing before? Besides, Tanya didn't deserve me telling the world everything was a lie. That could hurt her, and I couldn't do that. Tanya didn't use what happened to her advantage, instead releasing a statement saying we were already separated at the time of the incident but remained good friends.

Thankfully Tanya got a lot of good publicity from it and I was happy for her. I, in turn, got the funding for that protest film I wanted to do and Esme was all for it. I guess breaking away from the big studio mold was actually a good thing.

The whole situation wasn't ideal, but I used it to my advantage. I decided I would take a little bit more risk than I did before. I wouldn't let some man in an office tell me how to live my life. I was going to take chances. I was going to find out exactly who the real Edward Masen was, not who the fake Edward Cullen was.

Just because I was ready to move on didn't mean the rest of the world was. Promotion for the last _Modern_ movie was set to start in three weeks, and I just knew I would have to answer question after question about Jane's video. But Tanya agreed to do all the press with me. Hopefully that would help. It was always good to have your best friend by your side.

That's how I found myself sitting at a table at Tanya's birthday party. I didn't really want to be around the celebrity types, but my presence wasn't for that. It was for Tanya.

I didn't do anything for my image anymore. I did things for me. So I only went to the things I wanted to go to. I didn't care how it would look. I just cared that I was being true to who I was.

I sipped my water and scanned the friendly faces. Tanya waved at me, and I sent her a salute. She was crowded by her family and I knew it would be a little while before she could make it over to me. But I wasn't checking my watch, I was just going to sit back and enjoy myself.

I found myself smiling until a glass full of cold liquid spilled all over my jeans and the sound of broken glass filled the room. Everyone looked in my direction, and I heard a frantic voice mutter "shit" and saw a flash of brown hair come into my view.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so clumsy. I'm sorry." The small woman leaned down on her knees and pulled a napkin out of her serving apron, trying to wipe my soaked crotch.

"I'm so embarrassed. I wasn't looking. It's totally my fault. But to explain myself, I saw James Franco and I kinda got a little starstruck." She kept wiping my pants and I held back a laugh.

"Please stop that," I said, trying to stop her from spilling anymore of her verbal diarrhea. "It's fine."

Her brown eyes locked with mine and I felt a shock pass through my body. It was almost as if I had gotten shocked by static electricity. She was gorgeous. Her eyes were this soft brown, and her hair had hints of red in it. Her cheeks had a pink hue from her embarrassment and her mouth formed an O as she gasped.

"Oh, shit." Her hands shook and I looked at her, confused. "You're like super gorgeous, and I wasn't expecting to wet your penis with wine. I mean with anything. I don't want to wet your penis. I don't want to wet you."

I laughed and her blush deepened.

"You did wet me," I said, gesturing to my crotch.

"I'm sorry. Please don't hate me more than you already do, Mr. Cullen." She got up, nervously fixing her outfit, and I tilted my head.

"I don't know you. How could I hate you?"

She sighed and wrung the napkin in her hands. "Because someone stole my identity and tricked you. Well like, sort of stole it. I guess going into work for me when I was sick and pretending to be me isn't really stealing my identity. But it was a bitch move, and to me if felt like she did."

She was rambling, and I was smiling.

"What?"

She huffed and looked at me, her brown eyes wide and scared. "I'm Bella Swan," she mumbled.

My heart jumped, and surprisingly it wasn't in anger. I felt, somehow, content. And looking at her only made my heart pound faster.

"It's nice to finally meet the real Bella Swan," I said with a smile.

She returned my smile and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Edward Cullen. You're even more gorgeous in person. Wish you would have met me first, before Jane tainted my name. Now I'll never get to find out if you really are as sexy as you look."

I laughed as I shook her hand, and that same spark I had before intensified with her touch. She looked down at our hands like she felt it too and then gasped.

"Shit, I said that out loud. That's embarrassing. I have like word vomit or whatever. But honestly, I'm glad it's out there. I would have said it sooner or later."

"That seems like you expect us to talk or even see each other after this." I smirked.

She smiled and laughed.

"A girl can hope right?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. I looked up at her and realized how cute she looked in her uniform.

"So can I."

I smiled at her, and I decided this time it would be different. I was different. I didn't have someone breathing down my neck telling me what to do. I didn't have anyone to answer to but myself. I knew if I walked away right now, I would always be thinking of that spark I felt from her presence. I knew it.

It wasn't the smartest thought, but she wasn't Jane. Jane tried to break me, but in turn she made me stronger. Maybe her stealing Bella's name wasn't a coincidence, maybe it was fate. Maybe all of this was supposed to happen so I could get wine spilled on me by this gorgeous girl.

So I took a chance. I gave her my number, and I held back a smile as I watched her walk away. When she thought I wasn't looking, she gave a _Breakfast Club_ style fist pump, and for the rest of the party she wore the same matching grin as mine.

I guess the gut feeling I had with Jane was just bad shellfish, or my mind trying to tell me something. I knew this Bella Swan was different. I didn't need a gut feeling to tell me that. All I needed was a spark.

The best things start with a spark.


End file.
